Parachute and means for projecting and operating the same



Feb. 3, 1948. A. RUTHVEN 2,435,367

PARACHUTE AND MEANS FOR PROJECTING AND OPERATING THE SAME Filed Feb. 1, 1943 V 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Aifred L. Ruffhven Feb. 3, 1948. A. L. RUTHVE N 2,435,367

PARACHUTE AND MEANS FOR PROJECTING AND OPERATING THE SAME F iled Feb. 1, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Alfred LRurhven BY W/7/I6/7600' 3 Vog/ flf/orney;

Feb. 3, 1948. RUTHVEN 2,435,367

PAR ACHUTE AND MEANS FOR PROJECTING AND OPERATING THE SAME Filed Feb. 1, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 1: 2 Alfred 1.. RuThven BY Wh'f'h d&l 0l F ag. '8 fiff ofne y s g v Per PARACHUTE AND MEANS FOR PROJECTING AND OPERATING THE SAME Filed Feb. 1, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. l2.

INVENTOR. Alfred L. Rurhven w M V 1 a PARACHUTE AND MEANS FOR PROJECTING AND OPERATING THE SAME Filed Feb. 1, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Afred L. RuThven I BY Whil'ehead x Vogl AH-ornegs Perwcuk Patented Feb. 3, 1948 PARACHUTE AND MEANS FOR PROJECTING AND OPERATING THE SAIME Alfred L. Ruthven, Denver, 0010.

Application February 1, 1943, Serial No. 474,240

9 Claims.

This invention relates to parachutes attached (a) improved means associated with the projec' tile for directing or guiding the projectile, (b) improved means for detachably attaching the parachute to the projectile, (c) combining said guiding means and said attaching means to insure detachment of the crown from the projectile at the predetermined point in the flight of the projectile, (d) a device combined with said projectile for projecting the same, (e) an improved projectile.

Having in view the foregoing and other objects, all of which shall more fully hereinafter appear, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter defined in the claims, the preferred embodiments of which shall be now described, the same being illustrated 'in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a projectile with parachute attached ready to be projected.

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating said projectile in the course of reversing from its projected flight to its return flight just after the guiding means have turned the projectile to position for detach ing the crown of the parachute, the parts being illustrated as they are just after the detachment of the crown. V Fig. 3 is an elevation of said projectile in its dgwnward course supported by the opened parac ute; 1

' Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said projectile, car-- rying the parachute, and positioned in and combined with a projection device.

Fig. 5is afragmentary view on an enlarged scale of a portion of-the combined projectile and projecting means, being mostly in longitudinal, vertical section.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 5-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary view showing a modification of the crown attaching hook on said projectile.

Fig. 8 is a view similar in Fig. 1 but illustrati g improved means for taking up slack in the attaching cord. 7

Fig. 9 is a view of a distended parachute in reverse, that is, looking upward into the parachute when spread out to its limit and illustrating a preferred embodiment of the parachute.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail view illustratin the construction at the apex of the parachute illustrated at Fig. 9, but on an enlarged scale.

Y Fig. 11 is a View of a fragment of the projectile and parachute and illustrating an improved means of balancingthe projectile in flight.

Fig. 12 is a side View of Fi 11.

Fig. 13 is a view of a fragment of a modified form of projectileand parachute attaching means, being another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 14 is view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modification of the parachute-top -attaching and releasing means and modified structure for balancing the projectile in flight.

Fig. 15 is a side view of the top portion of Fig. 14. V

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary detail of the form of attaching and releasing means illustrated at Figs. 14 and 15.

Fig. 1'7is a section on-lin'e |'I--l'l of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary view illustrating a further modification of the means for attaching and releasing the top ofthe parachute.

Fig. 19 is a section on line 19-19 of Fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is a view, similar to Fig. 1 but of a projectile adapted to be projected by hand, without projecting means, such as a bow or gun, and illustrating means for allowing the parachute to wholly detach itself from the projectile.

The projecting means shall, hereinafter for brevity, be referred to as a gun.

The invention is described as follows, the references being to the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred and modified embodiments. A The projectile l is a shaft, which may be similar to the shaft of an arrow, provided with a notch 2 in its base and a tip including a weight 3 and, preferably a point 4 of padded or rubberlike material.

The projectile is provided with means, as stud 5, positioned near the butt or rear end of the projectile, for'attaching, as at 6, the shroud lines 1 of parachute 8 which is provided with a loop 9 attached to the crown of the parachute by suitable means as cord I0. v

The projectile carries, near its tip, means, as hook ll, adapted to detachablyengage loop 9. The cooperation of loop 9 and hook H is such that the loop will engage the hook while the projectile is in projected flight, This is simply accomplished by inclining the hook forwardly, as

illustrated, so that the resistance of the parachute to the air during such flight, will draw the loop down next the projectile and hold the loop securely on the book as longas such flight continues. V

As thepro'jecting force is spent the heavy tip of the projectile causes the projectile to reverse and fall tip down and the detachment of loop 9 from hook ll during the early stages of such. reversal of the projectile is necessary-to assure the most successful operation.

For this purpose I provide means which will, by reason of air resistance, keep the projectile, while it is reversing, always in positionwith hook H-on'the upper side of the projectile.

3 When the projectile begins to reverse, the air resistance on the parachute changes direction relative to the projectile. "During projected flight such air resistanceactsin a direction longitudi nally of the projectile. As the projectile reverses hook-side up during reversal, may be of the utmost simplicity and I preferably provide, for this purpose, plain vanes or fins l2, of sheet fiber or the like, which may have one of their edges set into the projectile and pinned therein as at 13.; These fins or vanes project from the projectile,

in line with hook I I and it is obvious that the air resistance of these vanes or fins will cause the vanes or fins to be always on the upper side of the projectile when it is movin in a line not parallel to its own longitudinal axis, as in reversing at the end of a projected-flight. As hook II is on the same side of the projectile as the vanes or fins, the hook will always, during anything but a longitudinal movement of the projectile, be on the upper side of the projectile.

It is understood that even without the fins or vanes I2, the air resistance on the parachute, during any but longitudinal movement of the projectile, would tend to keep the projectile hook-side up as the pull of the parachute would be on hook II and stud 5 which are in alignment on one side of the projectile.

The provision of the fins or vanes, however,

4 engage notch 25 in the projectile for holding the projectile in position with bands or springs 2| stretched substatniallyto their'li'mit. The release of and firing the projectile with the attached parachute will obviously result from the retraction of the trigger 23.

Spring 26 and guard 21, of ordinary construc- I tion and for common and obvious uses, may be cord attached to' the projectile back ofthe' provided, h

I preferably provide easily releasable means for holding the slack shroud lines to insure against snarling. This may consist of a spring 28 afI-lxed to the stock and adapted to exert just suflicient pressure to retain slackjshroud lines until subjected to the pull resulting from releasing the projectile, whereupon the from spring 28.

The means for engaging loop 9 to the projectile may, obviously, be formed in different ways.

as, for example, forming a notch 29 in the arrow, as illustrated at Fig. 7. This construction has the advantage of bringing loop 9 substantially to the center of the projectile so that the pull of the parachute on loop 9 will be exerted on the projectile substantially at its center.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated means for. taking up the slack of the shroud lines in case of projection from a bow. These means consist of a point. of attachment of the shroud lines to the projectile, as at 3!, and passed through the slack of the shroud lines and pulled back, to take up such slack, and passed through notch 2 where it will be held bythe, bow string until released.

tends to assure the maintenance of the proper position of the projectile and the consequent release of loop 9 from hook II at the desired time.

It will be understood that the functions of stud 5 and the adjacent vane l 2 may be combined by providing means, as hole M, in the vane for attachment of the shroud lines directly to the vane.

The positioning of stud 5 substantially back of the longitudinal centerof the projectile and of hook ll substantially forward of such center are, obviously, essential to the efiicient operation of the device in manner illustrated and described.

The projectile may be shot from a bow, the notch 2 being string for that purpose.

Preferably a gun is provided for projectin the device and the device and gun, combined for projection, are illustrated at Figs. 4, 5 and 6 in shape preferable for useas a toy, wherein the gun is illustrated as having a stock l5, a barrel- I6 with a handheld nallyslottedin its and vanes I 2. The barrel its sides in II, the barrel being longitudie top as at l8 to receive stud 5 I6 is also provided with slots I 9 in which slot pin 20 may move longitudinally of the barrel. Pin 20 isadapted to fit in notch 2 springs 2|,

and means, such as rubber bands or secured to the forward part of the barrel as at 22, engage pin '20 and are stretched with pin 26 seated in notch 22,

when projectile I, is inserted into the barrel to the position shown at Figs. 4 and 5.

The gun is provided with a suitable releasable.

detent as triggerv 2r3 having hook, adapted 'to;

provided for engaging the bow.

a edge of the lining falls short of the edge of the a for the outer layer and above the lines 1.

In this figure I have, for simplicity of illustration, shown a cord 1a attached to the shroud lines and thenceto the vane I2 at M, and have shown cord 30 taking up the slack in cord 7a Which will, in turn, shroud lines 7.

I have, at this figure, also illustrated the point' 33 of the projectile larger than the shaft in order to eliminate the use of metal. The necessary weight may be provided b enlarging the point even though it be made of the same material'as' the shaft.

At Figs. 9 and 10 I have illustrated a parachuteconstructed especially for use as a part of this invention and in combination with the projectile. Such parachute has an outer layer or member" 34, shroud lines 1 and a lining 35. A snap socket 36 is mounted in the center of the parachute and to it the cord In may be attached. A snap but-' ton 31, adapted to snap into socket 36, is providedwith eyelets to which the upper ends of the shroud lines are attached as at 38. The lining 35 is provided with an orifice 39 through which the knob 31a of the button may be projected for' insertion in the socket.

This orifice is preferably surrounded by suitable reinforcement 46. The shroud lines 1 are attached to the edges of the outer layer 34 as at 4|. The lining is preferably slightly smaller than the outer layer so that the outer layer as clearly illustrated at Fig. 9 and thus the lining is wholly inside the outer layer.

When the socket 36 and button 31 are separated the lining may be positioned as a lining Knob 37a is then inserted-through orifice,39 and into socket 36 thussecuring the lining in desired position between the outer layer and the shroud lines, in which position it will open with and act as a lining for the outer layer.

By this constructionit is possible to wear} lines will easily detach also take up the slack in the outer layerza'fabric or other material :which, while having 'sufiicient'lstlength; may be cheap and quite porous with a. lining which is not porous but cheap and having little strength, such as paper, thus providing a parachute which is strong and nonporous but made of very cheap materials, having aeheap and easily replaceable lining.

It may be foundthat attaching the parachute atone side ofthe projectile results in deflecting the projectile from a straight course by reason of the air resistance. of the parachute.

To balance the air resistance of the parachute I attach an inclined leaf 4| to the-side of the projectile opposite that to which the parachuteis attached. This is clearly illustrated at Figs. 11 and 12. The effect of the leaf there illustrated, in balancing the air resistance of the parachute, will be obvious. i

'At'Fig. 13 I have illustrated another embodiment of the invention in which the central portion of theshaft l of the projectile is formed of two spaced parts 43 and 43a between which the parachute hangs by the cord Ill and loop 9 from a hook positioned at the center of the projectile whereby, during projected flight of the projectile, the parachute will hang along the longitudinal center of the projectile thus sub stantially equalizing the air resistance on all sides of the device during the projected flight.

Fig.- 14 illustrates a projectile and "parachute combination like that illustrated at Fig. 8 except that at 'Fig114 a different structure for releasably attaching the tip of the parachute to the projectile and a modified air-pressure-balancing leaf are illustrated, the details thereof being illustrated at Figs. 15, 16 and 17.

This embodiment of the releasable attaching means comprises atab attached to cord 10 as at 46, which may be adapted to engage the vane I2 by'means of notch 41 and is provided with an orifice 48 'for'engagement with pin 49 which is mounted in, and projects from the shaft of pro--' jectile I, whereby the tip of theparachute'may be attached to'the projectile by hanging tab"45 onto pin 49.

To hold tab 45 in engagement withpin 49 during projected flight of the projectile I provide a flap 50, adapted, as by loosely hanging the upper end of the flap onto pins 5|, to swing toward or away from the projectile, as clearly illustrated at Fig. 14. When the projectile is in projected flight the air pressure holds flap 50 against tab 45 and thus maintains the engagement of tab 45 with pin 49. When the projectile turns in the manner illustrated at Fig. 2, flap 50, being on the same side of the projectile as vane 12, will be on the upper side of "the projectile,

which is then beginning to fall, so -that the air pressure .on flap 50 will cause it to swing out to dotted line position at Fig. '1 leaving tab 45;-free* to move away from the projectile. At the same time and for like reason, the parachute will leave the "projectile 'in'the manner illustrated at Fig. 2 resulting" in'ta'b 45 disengaging from pin' 49in the same manner that ring S'disengag'es from hook ll as'shown at Fig. 2.

At Figs. 18 and 19 I illustrate another form of releasable attaching means for the tip of the parachute comprising a link 52 carried by cord If! and carrying a lug 53, the lug in turn carrying a pin'54 adapted for insertion into and removable from irregular slot 55 in vane i2 when link 52 is in position indicated in broken lines at Fig. 18 but to lock to vane 12 when link 52 is other- 6. wise :positioned', suitable means, as leafspring 5'5, b'eingi provided: fo'r snapping the member 52-53-54 out of engagement with vane l2 when link 52 is turned to broken line position T0 attach the parachut tip to the projectile link 52 is-p'osltion'ed asindicated in broken lines and lug 53, withi its pin 54, is inserted through slot 55, against the pressure of spring 56, and then turned to solidiine position in which posi-' tion it is locke'dto vanelZ and in which position it will remain during the projected flight. When the projectile turns to the position illustrated at Fig.2 the air pressure forces'the parachute away from the projectile and lifts link 52 to the broken line position whereupon spring 56 snaps member- 52-53-54 out of slot 55 and releases the tip of th parachute from the projectile.

The balancing leaf 51 shown at Figs. 14, 15 and 16 may be used with any form of projectile thus far described in'place of the leaf 4| shown at Figs. 11v and 12 though the use of any such bal ancing means will usually be unnecessary with the form of projectile "disclosed at Fig. 13 which is substantiallybalanced. Balancing leaf 5! is simply a leaf or sheet of thin stiff material at-' tached to point/33 at a suitable angle to the axis of the projectile and it is most conveniently at tached by bevelling the point to the desired an gularity and attaching 'theleaf to the bevelled face by any suitable fastening means, not shown. The tip of thepoint 33 should project beyond the end of leaf 51' as shown at Figs. 14 and 15 so that the tip, rather than the leaf, will take the force of the'impac'twhen the projectile drops to' the ground. It is, therefore, preferable to inset the leaf in 'the'bevelled face of the point 33 as clearly shown'in the drawing.

At Fig. 2G I have illustrated a form of projecttile and parachute adapted to be projected by hand without theuse of gun, bow or other mechanical projector. This'embodiment comprises a s'haft'l having vanes l2 and parachute'il and suitable "releasable" parachute tip attaching means, those means-illustrated at Figs. 1, 2 and 3 being shown in this figure.

In orderto adapt this embodiment of my invention forprojection by hand I provide a light weight hand hold as ball 58 attached to the pro jectile by suitable means'as cord or wire 59 while tothe point of the projectile I attach, in simi-- lar manner, an object heavier than ball 58 as ball 68. Holding ball 58 in the hand, the operator can'swing the device in' a circle, preferably in a vertical plane, and, when desired, let go of ball 58 whereupon ball 60, by centrifugal force,

will 'carry the deviceinto the air and, when theprojecting force is spent, the projectile will fol low the. course indicated at Fig. 2- and the tip of;

the parachute will be released her as shown' at Fig.2

in the same man-- In order to holdthe parachute crown against release during the whirling of the device andstiil providefor its automatic release when the pro j'ectileturns over st tne end of the projected;

flight I passthe co'rd59 through a bore 63 in" th base of the projectile and out through a hole 64 and thence along the projectile to a hole 65 passing through the projectile just to the rear of hook I I- and on'the end of cord'59 I provide: a' 'loop 66 adapted-= to -"engage hook ll overlying ring -9 whereby-when the device is whirled'cord 59 will Bedrawn" taut 'and hold loop as tightly! oil-hook l I thus holding ring s'on hook I i. Whenthe-device is released the tension on cord 59' is released and when the device turns to the position as illustrated at Fig. 2, there will be substantially no tension on cord 59 'and the pull of parachute 8 will release both ring 9 and loop 66 from hook ll.

In this embodiment the shroud lines may be fastened to the projectile or toa lug or to the vane l2 near the bas of the projectile in anyv manner as heretofore shown and described or in any other suitable manner. At Fig. 20, however, I have illustrated a releasable attachment of the shroud lines as well as of the tip of the parachute whereby the parachute will be wholly released from the projectile. .This comprises an elongatedv hook 6|, conveniently formed by cutting away a portion of vane I2, adapted to receive a ring 52 carried by the shroud lines. The hook is pointed toward the base of the:projectile so that when the projectile turns over following the spending of the projecting force, the tip of the parachute will be first released, as heretofore described, and, as the parachute opens and'slows the fall it will retard the fall of the base of the projectile, until the projectile has reversed its position sufiiciently to permit hook 6| to slide out of ring 62 whereupon the projectil will drop and the parachute will float down carrying ring 62, it being understood that this ring is made of: sufiicient weight to act as a balance weight in floating the parachute to cart I have here illustrated and described this invention as a toy.- By obvious modifications in size, strength and mechanicaldetail it may be put to practical uses on a much larger scale.

While I have shown'and described many details of construction I am not to be limited to such details but desire protection as well upon.

the many mechanical equivalents which will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

Iclaim:

1. In a device of the. character described, a projectile having a relatively heavy tip portion, and a parachute having shroud lines, means for attaching the shroud lines of the parachute to the rear portion of the projectile and a releasable engagement of the parachute crown with the projectiles tip portion, said engagement comprising members carried respectively by, and on one side of, the projectile and by the crown adapted to interengage and be held in interengagementby a pull exerted on the parachute parallel to the projectile axis but to disengage bya pull exerted on the parachute at an angle to the axis of the projectile and a fin afiixed to,

the. projectile and aligned. with said engaging member on one side thereof whereby to maintain the releasable engagementmeans on the upper side of the projectile during its arcof travel resulting from the expenditure of the projecting force.

2. In a device as defined in claimzl, means attached to the projectile and adapted for engagement with the shroud lines of the parachute and with a projectin apparatus whereby to tension the shroud lines, the engagement with the projecting apparatus being releasable by and coincident with the projection of the device.

' 3. In a device as defined in claim 1, the parachute being engaged at one side of the projectile, whereby, during projected flight of the projectile, the air resistance of the parachute tends to defiect the projectile from a straight course, and a vane carried by the projectile at an inclination relative to the axis of the projectile. and thereby adapted to balancingly off-set said deflectin tendency of the parachute.

4; In a device as defined'in claim 1,'the middle portion of the shaft of the projectile being divided, and the means carried by the projectile for engaging the crown of the parachute being disposed at the axis of q the projectile between the separated parts of the shaft whereby the parachutev is suspended substantially along the axis of the projectile.

5. In a device as defined in claim 1, the releasable parachute-crown-engagin means comprising a pin carried by the projectile, a tab connected to the parachute crown and adapted, by an orifice therein, to engage the pin when the tab lies substantially parallel with the projectile but to disengage from the pin when moved to one part being mounted in the center of the outer layer and the other part being attached to said cords at said point of convergence, said lining lying between the outer layer and the cords and having a central orifice adapted to permit the interengagement of said parts therethrough.

7. In combination with a device as defined in claim 1, a projection apparatus, means engaged with the shroud lines ofthe parachute and adapted for engagement with the projectile and with-the projecting apparatus whereby to tension the shroud lines, the engagement with the projecting apparatus being releasable by .and coin,- cident with the projection of the projectile.

8. In a device as defined in claim 1, the projectile having a handle flexibly attached to its base. and being weighted at its point, whereby the toy may be manually swung in a circle and projected by centrifugal force, there being means during said swinging for holding the parachute crown attached to the projectile.

9. In a device as defined in claim 1, the shroud: line-engaging means being adapted to disengage from the projectile by a pull toward the rear of the projectile after the crown has been disengaged.

ALFRED L. RUTHVEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Switzerland July 16, 1919 

